With the tweet, Tharoor was targeting the Narendra Modi government and the demonetisation decision. But he had to face the ire of social media users, who thought it was not in good taste.

Shashi Tharoor's pun on Manushi Chhillar did not go down well with social media users.

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New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor landed in a tweet storm on Sunday for his pun on Manushi Chhillar, who was crowned Miss World 2017 on Saturday.

With the tweet, Tharoor was targeting the Narendra Modi government and the demonetisation decision. But he had to face the ire of social media users, who thought it was not in good taste.

“What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!” Tharoor wrote, equating Chhillar with its literal meaning – coins.

What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!

Tharoor also received summons from the National Commission of Women for the “derogatory and degrading tweet”. NCW chief Rekha Sharma said she had asked the Congress MP to tender an apology, but did not receive any response.

Tharoor, eventually, did apologise. He said it was a light-hearted tweet and he meant no offense to Chhillar.

“Guess the pun is the lowest form of humour, & the bilingual pun lower still! Apologies to the many who seem to have been righteously offended by a light-hearted tweet today. Certainly no offence was meant to a bright young girl whose answer i've separately praised. Please: Chill!” he wrote.

Guess the pun IS the lowest form of humour, & the bilingual pun lower still! Apologies to the many who seem to have been righteously offended by a light-hearted tweet today. Certainly no offence was meant to a bright young girl whose answer i've separately praised. Please: Chill!

After the apology, NCW also reconsidered its summons. Speaking to CNN-News18, Sharma said it is good that Tharoor has aplogised, but she would still like to talk to him on the issue. “This is not a joke, it can’t be light hearted... will he say something similar about a girl from his family?” she asked.